Congressional progressives are balking at House Speaker Nancy Pelosiās (D-Calif.) push to pass the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill on Thursday.
The White House unveiled the framework for a $1.75 trillion spending package which progressives are hoping to pass along with the infrastructure bill, as IJR reported. Shortly after the framework was unveiled, Pelosi said she wanted to hold a vote on the infrastructure bill.
However, progressives have insisted that both bills move through Congress together and rejected the push to vote on the infrastructure bill without the larger social spending package.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the House Progressive Caucus, said, āThere are too many no votes for the to pass today.ā
āWhat weāre saying is we canāt vote for the today,ā she added.
Meanwhile, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted, āWe have been clear since April: we will pass the bipartisan infrastructure once we vote a Build Back Better Act to help our communities.ā
Additionally, some Senate Democrats expressed support for House progressivesā stance on the vote.
Democrats have a slim majority in the House, and Fox Newsā Jacqui Heinrich reports that ā House Dems are considered āhard no,ā pledging to vote down if it comes up for a vote.ā
Additionally, there are reportedly 10 Republicans who are expected to vote for the bill.
If nine Democrats voted against it and 10 Republicans voted for it, the bill would narrowly pass the chamber.
Pelosi reportedly told Democrats not to āembarrassā President Joe Biden by voting down the infrastructure bill.
However, at the end of a press conference on Thursday, she did not say whether she still plans to hold a vote as progressives have voiced their opposition to it.